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What happens when a plate of oceanic crust collides with a plate of the continental crust and why does this happen?
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
The oceanic crust will slide under the continental crust. And the reason is because the oceanic crust is much denser and the continental crust is least dense.
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
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What explains the observation that when a continental and oceanic plate collide the oceanic plate dives down under the continental plate?
The oceanic plate must be more dense than the continental plate for this to happen.
What would happen if the continental crust and the oceanic crust went into each other?
In a convergent plate collision between continental and oceanic plates, the more dense oceanic plate would subduct, or move underneath, the less dense continental plate, eventually melting into the mantle at the leading edge.
When oceanic plates drop back away from continental plates what happens?
A few things could happen. The separation could leave a gap in the two plates, and if the plate is deep enough, magma could rise and cool. Also depending on how high the magma rises, it could either add to the land or add to the ocean floor, most likely the ocean floor. The continental plate may also continue to move with the oceanic plate, as the crust is resting on the wobbly viscous asthenosphere.
What happens when two continental plates crash into each other?
When two continental plates crash into each other, they crumple and fold. The crust is forced up, and mountains form, and earthquakes happen.
What is the meaning of plate boundry?
Plate boundaries, essentially, are the areas where two lithospheric plates meet. When this happens, one of three things can happen. Plates can move apart from each other, creating divergent boundaries. Plates can collide together, created convergent boundaries. Or plates can rub against each other in a parallel motion, created transform fault boundaries. Divergent boundaries, usually between two oceanic plates, creates an upswelling of magma from the lithosphere. Convergent boundaries, usually between oceanic and continental plates, causes the oceanic plate to subduct underneath the continental plate, leading to the destruction of seafloor. Transform fault boundaries neither destroy nor create lithosphere.
What happen when a plate carrying oceanic crust collides with a plate carrying continental crust?
The contiental cdrust is forced under the continental crust in a process called subduction.
A seafloor plate collides with a continal plate.what will happen?
The oceanic plate (sea-floor plate) is denser than the continental plate, so the oceanic plate will be pulled under the continental plate (subduction) and into the upper mantle, creating an underwater volcano.
What happens when a continental plate and an oceanic plate meet?
Earthquakes, tsunami's. you name it and it could happen
What happens when an oceanic plate meets a continental plate?
Earthquakes, tsunami's. you name it and it could happen
What happen a train collides with ajeep?
What happens when a car collides with a beer can? Answer - the same thing.
What will happen if a seafloor plate collides with a continental plate?
It will subduct under the less dense continental plate.
What explains the observation that when a continental and oceanic plate collide the oceanic plate dives down under the continental plate?
The oceanic plate must be more dense than the continental plate for this to happen.
Do earthquakes happen when a continental or oceanic plate moves over a hot spot?
Earthquakes happen because of continental plate shifts. Oceanic plate shifts cause title waves.
How did the Chilean earthquake happen?
the oceanic plate crased into the continental plate.
What are the types of collisions that happen at convergent boundaries?
Subduction (where one plate is forced beneath another less dense plate - may occur at oceanic-oceanic and oceanic-continental boundaries), obduction (where oceanic plate is forced over a continental plate) and orogenesis where two continental plates collide and mountains are formed (e.g. the Himalayas).
What would happen if the continental crust and the oceanic crust went into each other?
In a convergent plate collision between continental and oceanic plates, the more dense oceanic plate would subduct, or move underneath, the less dense continental plate, eventually melting into the mantle at the leading edge.
Can continental lithosphere subduct?
Not usually, as the rock they are made of (mostly granite) is too light to sink into the mantle (mostly denser basalt). Small fragments of continental crust can get entrained in a subducting oceanic plate and be dragged down into the mantle as that plate subducts. Where continental crust collides with oceanic crust, it always floats forcing the oceanic crust down and causing it to subduct. Where continental crust collides with continental crust, both plates crumple and compress dramatically, being forced upward into unusually high mountains (e.g. the Himalayas) and downward into deep continental roots that support the weight of those mountains. Nothing subducts in this case. But whole continental plates subducting does not happen, while much more oceanic plate area has been subducted in the history of the earth than the total surface area of the earth.
